Research Update About Community College Retention Programs

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Research Update About Community College Retention Programs

May 2011

A Podcast with the Relative Impact Team

The NRCCTE's Relative Impact study is examining what interventions help community college students stay in college and complete their programs-- especially students in occupational programs. At the beginning of the study, the Relative Impact team partnered with four community colleges that were recommended as places that had both good programs and good data systems. The study team has since conducted a series of site visits during which they have examined the range of interventions being offered in these colleges that help students to stay in college and complete their programs. This study is important not only because of the current national pressure to improve the number of students who complete a postsecondary credential of some kind, but also because the national data suggest that a student who attends postsecondary but doesn't complete any kind of credential does not receive much or any benefit in the workplace in terms of the wages they receive; such students often leave school with a great deal of debt, as well.

Recently, members of the study team--Christine ("Chris") Bremer, Bruce Center, Amy Hirschy, and Marisa Castellano--sat down with Catherine Imperatore of ACTE to talk about their latest findings and observations.